


Not yet slowing down

by navaan



Series: Age-Series [2]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Character Study, Community: 10_quotes, Flirting, Friendship, Gen, Humor, Introspection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-04-28
Updated: 2010-04-28
Packaged: 2017-10-13 04:18:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/132744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/navaan/pseuds/navaan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack understands the Doctor better than he gives him credit for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not yet slowing down

**Author's Note:**

> This is an indirect follow-up to **Understanding comes with age** but can be read without knowing that one. Written for the 10_quotes challenge Promt: "You're American." - "Oh God, how depressing! You're meant to think I'm an international woman of mystery. I'm working on it like mad."
> 
> Thanks to [knm1234](http://knm1234.livejournal.com/) for beta reading.

He really should have made Gwen do this. This was essentially police work and she was so much better at that. He was better with charging in guns blazing and taking charge of a situation. But Gwen was dealing with the police at the crime scene, so that left Jack.

The receptionist was looking at him with a stern expression. He mustered up his most charming smile and politely asked her if she had seen their suspect enter the conference being held at the hotel. Someone had stolen an artefact from an antiques shop that had turned out to be alien in origin. Now they only had sketchy leads about its whereabouts.

The young woman dropped her stern look when Jack paid her a compliment, but hadn't seen the man he was looking for. "Although there are a lot of people going in and out. There is always the possibility that I didn't notice."

He smiled. "Thanks anyway, darling." He hoped she would not make a fuss when she saw him entering the event.

"You're American."

"Oh God, how depressing! You're meant to think I'm an international man of mystery. I'm working on it like mad."

She smiled back indulgently. "You are quite handsome," she told him, "But since the conference started, so many strange people have come to this hotel and you’re hardly one of the more mysterious ones." She gave a small wink: "And with your accent, your heritage is hardly a mystery."

Jack gave a small chuckle at the irony of her comment. An immortal, deadly handsome guy from the future with an American accent wasn't mysterious enough in Cardiff. That figured. Maybe it would do him good to find an opportunity for a space adventure and leave Wales behind for a bit, he mused.

Pulling his mind back to the job in hand, he turned his gaze back to the receptionist. "So there have been some strange people here the past few days? How strange?"

She leaned a little forward and whispered conspiratorially. "You know. Strange Asian businessmen, some weird guys that look like scientists. But there have been some more unusual people around too. Just this morning there was this good-looking guy asking me the same questions you are." She laughed. "But he was quite the strange one himself, all that nervous energy and fast talking."

"That doesn't sound too strange."

The woman pondered that for a moment. "It wasn't so much what he asked as what he said. He used so many strange expressions."

That piqued Jack’s interest. "Like what?"

"Something about a vortex thingy and interference. He had this weird gizmo, waving it around like mad. Don't ask me what he was on about. He said he was a Doctor."

"A Doctor?" Jack kept smiling, but the possibility of _the_ Doctor being around made him eager to ask more: “What was his name?”

“He didn't give me a name. That was one thing that was so odd about him.” She laughed, thinking about it. “He introduced himself as the Doctor.”

Jack’s smile widened. “Well, thank you...” He took a short glimpse at her name tag. “Annie. You've been a great help.” The Captain turned away. He could see the receptionist wanted to ask more questions, but he could at least _try_ and seem a little mysterious.

Now where to find an elusive Time Lord with a knack for getting into trouble?

He surveyed the lounge but wasn't surprised when he didn't see anyone. Typical Doctor behaviour: dropping by without warning. Without note. Without invitation to join the trouble.

It had been too much to hope this would change now Jack had made it clear they were on common ground and he could see the Doctor for what he was. He still couldn't think of the Master and feel anything but anger, but he could see why the Doctor had acted as he did. He didn't like it, but he could understand. The last time the Doctor had been in Cardiff, he had even dropped by on his own. And he had endured one of those straining talks he normally ran from. That had to be good sign.

It had ended on a light note, too. Jack had even dared to hope that they had bonded over shared pain. He hadn't for one minute thought he would _change_ the Doctor, make him slow down a little, but he had hoped they were comfortable enough with each other to meet again. And now the Time Lord was here without telling him first. It wasn't surprising, but it was irritating.

He should really be concentrating on finding the alien artefact. The Doctor would be at the source of the trouble anyway. He stepped into a room where the conference participants were enjoying a short meal. A conference of astronomers no less. The Time Lord would feel right at home here.

He surveyed the room but couldn't see the short, black haired suspect. Some people looked at him sideways. With his usual attire, he really didn't fit in. A hand waved in front of his eyes and he turned slightly.

“Hello, Jack,” the Doctor chirped happily. “You're awfully late, you know.”

The Captain could only stare at the cheerful brown eyes that met his.

“It's to be expected that you have to slow down a bit in your old age. I'm glad that I'm not quite there, yet. Slowing down would be the death of me...”

“Yeah, I know,” Jack interjected before the Doctor could go on. “What are you doing here?”

The Doctor looked at him, tilting his head to the side. “Well, I thought...” He reached into his coat pocket and retrieved a shiny metal sphere with alien markings and dropped it into Jack's hand. “Maybe you didn't want this to stay in the hands of a greedy low-life who didn't know what he was dealing with.” His expression grew stern. “I scared him a little. The person who hired him, on the other hand, must have known exactly what he was doing. You really should take better care of these things.”

He looked at the sphere, turning it between his fingers. “What is it?”

“Be careful with it, Jack. It contains a very adaptable virus. You wouldn't want to start a plague.” Jack raised an eyebrow at him. “Don't worry, I sealed it as securely as possible. We're quite safe. Close it away. All's right with the world.” He looked at Jack again, contemplating. “On second thoughts, I'm not sure something like this should stay in Torchwood.” He snatched the sphere back and dropped it into his coat pocket. Jack had barely time to react or be affronted. “Or on this planet for that matter. I'll take care f it.”

Jack surveyed the room again, unhurried. “Took care of everything, did you?”

The Doctor shrugged. “No point in waiting around doing nothing. Not my thing, really.”

"So there’s nothing for me to do?" Jack laughed. "You managed everything on your own?"  
The Doctor nodded. "Yep. I was thinking about dropping by your place, actually, but that’s not necessary anymore, is it, old man?"

Jack chuckled. "Yeah, maybe it's best this way. What will people think if I bring home a young thing like you?"

The Doctor smiled faintly and turned in the direction of the door. Jack tried to keep up. "You're in a good mood," he remarked while they strode through the lobby. "Are you still travelling alone?"

"Yes," the Doctor replied absent-mindedly. "Why? You don't want to come along do you?"

They stepped outside the building. "You don't want to stay here either," Jack reminded him, "And how will I ever convince you you have a thing for older men if I never even see you?" He smiled at the Doctor's suddenly furrowed brow.

"That again," the Doctor groaned. "That's the part of that conversation you'll always remember? The innuendo?"

Jack laughed out loud, glad he had managed to wind up his friend a little. "I hope you remember everything I said, Doctor. I meant it – I understand. I understand a lot more than you give me credit for." His eyes narrowed. "You shouldn't be alone so much, you know that."

The Doctor sighed. "I can't have my hearts broken again, Jack. Let me decide when it's time to take someone with me again, all right?"

There was more to it than that, Jack could hear it in his voice. But he also didn't want to ruin a light-hearted conversation by asking unwanted questions.

The Tardis was in a small alley not too far away and Jack had the feeling the Doctor wouldn't stay any longer than necessary. "I won't argue with that. Just, next time, drop by and say hello first. And maybe just drop by for the hell of it. I'd like that."

The Doctor scratched his ear, laying a hand against the door of his blue police box. "I won't promise, Jack. There’s so much out there." He made a wide gesture that was supposed to encompass the whole of the universe. "I forget when I'm out there."

Jack chuckled fondly. He let his hand fall on the Doctor’s shoulder, making sure he was looking him right in the eyes. "You never forget, Doctor, but it's easier to distract yourself when you're busy." He smiled. "You miss Donna, you miss Martha, you miss Rose and whoever else has travelled with you one time or other. And sometimes, I like to think you even miss me. But you go on. That's the way you do things." 

The Doctor didn't reply but stepped away, out of Jack's reach, elegant hands hidden in the pockets of his long overcoat. "I’m beginning to think you understand more than I give you credit for, Jack."

The smile Jack gave him was more than a little flirtatious. "Yeah. I know. We'd be the perfect match if you'd just allow it to happen." He winked.

The Doctor gave a snort. "You're too old for me, Jack." He smiled but his tone was subdued.

"You keep telling yourself that," Jack sighed. "I'll be here if you ever come to your senses."

He wanted to tell say they were both too old for games, that the Doctor had probably lived too long to change his way of life now. But he enjoyed the playfulness too much and didn’t want to trade the light mood for an argument.

Nodding, the Doctor reached for the door handle. "I'll keep that in mind." He opened the Tardis and stepped inside. As he opened the door he turned back to look at Jack. "Thank you again."

"For what?"

"For understanding me better than I give you credit for." He stared at Jack, scrunching his face up in a thoughtful expression. "I'll keep the understanding part in mind and forget about the perfect match part, if you don't mind."

"Suit yourself,” Jack answered, smiling.

The Doctor nodded, gave him a short salute and closed the door.

Jack didn’t feel the usual regrets when the Tardis vanished in front of his eyes. Finally the Doctor seemed to accept that his understanding was more than empty words. And he had a feeling that the Doctor would be back to say hello. Hopefully sooner rather than later.


End file.
